The "Real World" of Environmental Consulting

I am an Environmental Consultant..an Environmental Scientist if you will. When I tell people this they automatically think that I am a vegan and belong to Greenpeace. In reality, I like a good medium steak, I stay away from groups such as Greenpeace or the Sierra Club, and work in a world that is more steeped in science and research than anything else. This blog is about the "Real World" of Environmental Consulting....Texas Style.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Meetings: NTAEP is meeting Next Wednesday at the Spring Creek BBQ in Irving, Texas. Speaker and topic:

Barbara Koerble, AICP, CFM

North Texas: A Green Future?

Vision North Texas is an award winning partnership of
private, public, and academic organizations that has held stakeholder workshops
throughout the 16-county North Texas region to find out what people think about
our region's future. Through Vision North Texas, leaders and experts around the
region have worked together to imagine a future that is better than ‘business
as usual’. North Texas 2050 is a major new ‘gamebook’ for our region that was
released at the Regional Summit 2010.In
addition, North Texas 2050has been
shaped by research and the experience of experts in transportation, land use
and development, housing, the environment, health and all the other issues that
will determine how livable and successful North Texas will be in the coming
decades.

How can we ensure that North Texas retains its green
spaces, clean air and water amidst expanding development and a rapidly growing
population? Retaining and managing natural areas is one of the five major
policy areas in North Texas 2050. "Greenprinting" is one strategy for
identifying high-priority natural areas for preservation, so they can serve as
prototypes for an emerging Regional Ecosystem Framework.Low Impact Development (LID)is another
strategy that will be featured in an upcoming North Texas competition. The
presentation will address other area initiatives to protect north Texas
watersheds, tree canopies and ecosystems.

The deadline for the EPA proposals for Urban Waters Small Grants are due on January 23, 2012. The EPA is expected to award between $1.8 to $3.8 million in funding to help restore urban waters by improving water quality and support community revitalization.

The Environmental Regulatory Compliance Conference (Hosted by the Louisiana Municipal Association, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Health and Hospitals, and Departments of Agriculture and Forestry) will be January 25-26 at the Alexandra Riverfront Conference Center.

ALSO, don't forget that NTAEP is next week on Wednesday January 18, 2012

Spring Creek BBQ
Beltline and 183 in Irving, Texas

11:30 am til 1 pm

Speaker is Nina Hutton from XTO/Exxon Mobil
Check out there new webpage too! www.ntaep.org
I like it. They also have a facebook page and a linkedin group now too. It seems that they finally realized that they need to be more technology savvy. Kudos NTAEP.

Also WE (Women in the Environment) has a meeting coming up as well.
Tuesday January 17
11am til 1 pm
Facility Tour & Lunch at the Lighting Resources Texas.

Friday, November 18, 2011

I don't know if you know about the issues regarding the GHG permitting issues in Texas. Well it seems that the EPA has issued the very first Texas GHG Permit fo rthe Lower Colorado River Authority Thomas C Ferguson Power Plant in Llano County, Texas. LCRA is in the process of modernizing and expanding its plant. It is replacing its older units with new more efficient ones and a natural gas powered unit as well.

It took about 8 months to get.

EPA is currently reviewing 10 other GHG permits for Texas.

Is this a sign of some resolve on the whole who permits what issues for Texas?

Monday, October 17, 2011

According to Yahoo - Perry has made the State of Texas one of the most industry friendly states in teh nation environmentally. Why? Well, let's make a list:

- Cut funding for clean air programs
- sued EPA to avoid enforcing clean air laws
- Cut TCEQ budget from 833.3 million to 565.5 million over the next two years

He targets everyone who supports or puts in place stricter environmental standards. He thinks that Obama's plans are a radical agenda and Perry plans on "killing" the EPA if he becomes president.

Rick Perry is quoted as saying "Our nation does not need costly new federal restrictions, espcially during our present economic crisis". Well, the EPA isn't the only one's putting out new federal restrictions. What is his next plan? Targeting OSHA? Maybe he'll be part of that movement that believes that Chysotile Asbestos isn't harmful..that it is all the OTHER types of asbestos that is.

Perry is using the EPA as his soapbox for his presidential campaign. Even though I am a Texan, I can no longer support this man in any way, shape or form.

Perry blames enviornmental regulations for the lack and loss of jobs but there is little to no real evidence that the job market is any worse today than it has been historically because of the environmental regulations. Most economist believe that companies are not hiring because there isn't enough consumer demand for the product.

Oh and then there is this:

"Another new measure made tightening air quality permits on the oil and gas industry more difficult. That law, which Perry signed in June, requires the Texas environmental agency to analyze the effect of new regulation on the economy — including how it might hurt a company — before implementation. The economic impact could override the environmental benefit of the new regulation."

and this:

"..... the EPA became so frustrated with how Texas was enforcing air quality laws that it took away the commission's authority to grant air pollution permits to some refineries. The state has filed suit to go back to the old rules."

So you want to blame someone for the EPA coming down on Texas? Blame Perry.

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Owner of this blog!

I have been an Environmental Consultant/Project Manager for the past 10 years in Texas. I have gone to school and have my Master's degree in Environmental Management. I plan for this blog to be an outlet for the different changes that are happening within this industry and as a way for me to vent my frustrations about the work I do and the issues that I run into.